3 dead, including 2 young children, in I-75 crash near Punta Gorda

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (WINK) — Three people lost their lives in a devastating I-75 crash that shut down part of the highway for hours in Charlotte County on Friday.

The crash happened along I-75 right near mile marker 154. This led to the northbound lanes between the Tuckers Grade and Bayshore Road intersections being shut down.

WINK News reporter Paul Dolan received a press release from Florida Highway Patrol detailing what happened in the crash. Three people are dead, and another person is seriously hurt.

Vehicle one was a 2014 Jeep Wrangler driven by a 28-year-old from Laurel, New York. He has serious injuries.

In vehicle two, there was a 25-year-old male and two young boys age 5 and 6. They were driving a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, and all three of them lost their lives.

Florida Highway Patrol says the male in the Jeep Wrangler was traveling southbound on I-75 and abruptly veered off into the northbound lanes. This landed directly into vehicle two's path and caused the collision.

There was also an attempted helicopter transport of one of the kids to an area hospital, where they later lost their life. The crash remains under investigation.

WINK News is going to continue following this story, bringing updates as we learn more.